Beer + Running

People everywhere are discovering the joys of running. And beer. With the number of running participants growing exponentially in the past few years, it’s easy to find a race to enter every weekend of the year. Creating new race themes also seems to be in vogue, so with craft beer on the rise around the country, pairing the two seems like the next logical step.

Some of my favorite races are the ones that incorporate beer into them. I’ve gotten pint glasses from a half marathon and a four-miler that I’ve run. I still feel a sense of pride every time I pull them out of the cabinet to use. Local pubs and bars often sponsor races and discounted pints after the race. And while I’m not a fan of running and drinking at the same time – I’d rather enjoy my frosty brew as a post-race reward – beer races are growing in popularity. There’s even a website devoted to beer races – willrunforbeer.com. Then there’s the Beer Mile where participants must follow strict rules regarding chugging beers in between running laps around a track.

I’m running the Will Run for Beer series for the 3rd time this year. Smuttynose Brewing is their sponsor. They make great beer and Ale! They change a race or two in the series each year so it keeps it interesting. We have The Great Bay Half Marathon coming up in 2 weeks.

Oh my goodness Sam, beer races would completely confuse me – it would feel a bit like taking a sauna whilst eating a packet of crisps (potato chips) or sitting in a weight watchers’ meeting whilst devouring a sausage sandwich. But I do like running. And I do like beer…